Horse-hopple.



Patented May 20, I902.

:4. KLEIN. HDRS'E HUPPLE.

Applicaticn filed July 20, 1901.:

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

"do Model.)

wlmgssss No. 700,507. Patented ma zo, I902.

m.v KLEIN.

HORSE H UPPLE.

7 {Application flld July 90, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES? 0 IN VENTOfl & I

A TTORNE YS the will Pulls co. PwTM m. wnmmrol. 0. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT O FIC MAX KLEIN, or DENVER, COLORADO.

HORSE-HOPPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,507, dated May 20, 1902.

Application filed July 20,

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Denver, in the county of Arapahoc and State of Colorado, have inventeda new. and Improved Horse-Hopple, of which the following is afull, clear,and exact description."

This invention relates to improvements in hopples for horses, the object being to provide a device of simple constructiondesigned to be carried by a horse and under the control of a driver and by'means ofwhich a horse may be-instantl y stopped or checked should he attempt to run away, either when used in harness or under saddle, and is also .to be used as a hitching device, so as to hitch a horse or other animal without the use of hitching posts or weights.

I will describe a horse-hopple embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hopple embodying my invention and showing the same as arranged on a horse. Fig. 2 is a plan view of shackles employed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing a supporting-saddle and a gripping device employed. Fig.4 is a front view thereof, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification.

The supporting device ,of the hopple consists of a saddle 1, the inner portion of which may be formed of light metal-such, for instance, as aluminiumand having a covering of leather or the like. This saddle is shaped to fit over the withers of a horse, as clearly indicated in the drawings. Attached to the forward portion of the saddle is a breast or neck strap 2, and also attached to said saddle at the rear portion is a body-strap 3, these straps being designed to hold thesaddle in place. As a further means for holding the saddle in place I may employ a strap 4 or the like extended from the saddle and adapted to engage with the checkrein-hook.

Mounted "on the saddle is a gripping device comprising a casing 5, a portion 6 of which forms a jaw coacting with a swinging jaw 7, this swinging jaw being pivoted within the 1901. Serial No. 69.068. (No model.)

casing and made segmental in formand pro-' v vided with gripping-teeth.

Arranged to move through the casing 5 and to be engaged by the gripping-jaws are straps or chains 8, which lead rearward to'a convenient position in a vehicle drawn by thehors. Extended downward. from straps 8 on opposite sides of the horse are extensions 9, which connect at their lower ends with weigh-ts 10. These weights are 'here shown as triangular in outline but they may be otherwise formed without departing from the spirit of my invention, so long as a wide base is provided. Shackles 11 and 12 are supported from the opposite weights 10, these shackles being do signed to engage aroundthe front legs of av horse andnormally at the upper portionsv thereof. The weights are connected to the shackles by means of straps 13 and 14,]the strap 13 being extended from the forward portion of the weight and connecting. with an eye 15 on the front of the shackle, while the. strap l lrextends from the rear end of the weight and connects with an eye at the rearof the shackle.

By extending the straps 13.14: from the ends of the wide base of the weights and connecting them with the shackles at the front and rear the shackles are held evenly from front to rear. Each shackle consists of two sections hinged together at one side and adapted for locking engagement at the other side. As

here shown the shackles are connected at one side by hinges 16, and the opposite sides are provided with overlapping or interlocking portions, which may be secured together by a pin 17.

From one side of the saddle 1 a draw-line "18 extends downward, passes through an eye '19 at the inner sideof the shackle 11, and

thence across to a connection 20 with the.

shackle 12. From the opposite side a drawline 21 extends downward from the saddle, passes loosely through an eye 22 on the shackle 12, and crosses and connects at 23 with the shackle 11. From the upper portion of the jaw 7 a draw-line 24 extends rearward to the vehicle and within-easy reach of the driver 1 or occupant of the vehicle. As here shown this draw-line 24 is attached toa ring 25 on said jaw. It is to be understood that the draw-lines 18 and 21 are designed to pull the shackles together, and consequently draw the horses legs together. Instead of attaching the draw-lines to the saddle, as above described, they may be extended from the shackles, as indicated at 26 in Fig. 5, to the breeching 27 or to any other portions of the usual harness. These draw-lines are designed merely to prevent the horse from making any forward motion of the legs, without which forward motion he cannot go either forward or backward, and is thereby controlled or hitched.

In operation the normal position of the shackles will be at the upper portion of a horses front legs, as clearly indicated in Fig.1. Should the horse attempt to run away, the draw-rein 8 is to be released, and then by a pull of the rein 2% the jaw 7 will be drawn backward, thus releasing the rein 8, so that the weight 10 will move the ends of said drawrein downward, and consequently permit the shackles to fall to a lower portion of the horses legs, and as they fall the draw-lines 1S and 21 will draw the shackles toward each other, thus elfect-ually hoppling the horse, or the draw-lines 26 will become taut and prevent the horse from making any forward motion of the legs.

My invention is not limited to the exact form, construction, and arrangement of the various parts and reins and lines as herein described, and I reserve the right to make all such alterations therein and modifications thereof as fairly come within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A horse-hopple, comprising shackles, a supporting-saddle, means for securing the supporting-saddle to a horse, a gripping device on the saddle, draw-reins extending through said gripping device and extending downward at opposite sides of a horse, means for releasing the gripping device, weights attachedtosaid downwardly-extended portions, connections between said weights and the shackles, and draw-lines extended from the saddle at opposite sides, the said draw-lines passing loosely through the eyes of one shackle at a side and engaging with the shackle of the other side, substantially as specified.

2. A horse-hopple, comprising a saddle adapted to lit over the withers of a horse, a

breast-strap attached to the saddle, a bodystrap attached to the saddle, a gripping device carried by the saddle, means for releasing the gripping device, draw-reins extended through said gripping device and extended downward at opposite sides, weights attached to said opposite reins, shackles having connee-tion with the weights, and means for drawing the shackles toward each other upon a downward movement of said shackles, substantially as specified.

3. A horse-hopple, comprising a saddle, a casing arranged on said saddle and having a gripping-jaw, a movable jaw in the casing, a draw-rein having connection with the movable jaw,draw-reins passing between the jaws, weights attached to said reins, shackles attached to the weights, and means for drawing the shackles toward each other on falling,

substantially as specified.

4. A horse-hopple, comprising shackles, a supporting-saddle, means for securing the supporting-saddletoahorse,agrippingdeviee on the saddle, means for releasing the gripping device, draw-reins extending through said gripping device and extended downward at opposite sides of the horse, connections between said rein portions and the shackles, and draw-lines extended from the saddle at opposite sides, the said draw-lines passing loosely through the eyes of the shackle at one side and engaging with the shackle at the other side, substantially as specified.

5. A horse-hopple, comprising a saddle adapted to engage over the withers of a horse, a gripping device on the saddle, means for releasing the gripping device, draw-reins extending through said gripping device and extended downward at opposite sides, weights attached to said downwardly-extended portions, the said weights having wide or broad base portions, shackles for engaging around the horses legs, and straps extended from the said weights to engagement with the front and rear portions of the shackles, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAX KLEIN.

lVitnesses:

.TNo. M. BITTER, O. R. FERGUSON. 

